Bookmark this page or copy and paste URL to Email message Catholic Church, Diocese of Tucson Records, 1721-1957MS 296
Historical NoteAs New Spain expanded northward from the Valley of Mexico, new dioceses of the Catholic Church were established to administer the spiritual conquests of the missionary padres; the Diocese of Guadalajara in 1548, the Diocese of Durango in 1620. As the frontier became consolidated, the old dioceses were subdivided. In 1779, southern Arizona and parts of southern New Mexico became part of the newly created Diocese of Sonora, under Bishop Antonio Reyes, who had been one of the earliest Franciscan missionaries in Pimería Alta. Following the Mexican War of 1848 and the Gadsden Purchase of 1854, new ecclesiastical administration problems arose. A large number of Mexican and Native Americans had been added to the Catholic population of the United States. At the request of American Bishops, Pope Pius IX created the Vicariate Apostolic of New Mexico on July 19, 1850 and appointed Fr. John B. Lamy, as Vicar Apostolic with the title of Bishop of Agathonica. In January of 1866, Bishop Lamy sent Fathers John B. Salpointe, Francis Boucard, Patrick Birmingham and a seminarian, Mr. Vincent from Santa Fe to Tucson. Father Birmingham became the first pastor of Gila City, near present day Yuma. Fathers Salpointe and Boucard established the parish of Saint Augustine in Tucson with San Xavier del Bac as their largest mission. Mr. Vincent opened a school at San Xavier and later in Tucson. Two years later, the Vicariate Apostolic of Arizona was formed with Father Salpointe as Vicar Apostolic. His Vicariate extended from Utah to Mexico, from El Paso County in Texas to Yuma. In 1897, the Diocese of Tucson was formed. Scope and Content NoteThe bulk of the records in this collection are holographic sacramental registers that document baptisms, marriages, burials and confirmations of individual church members from 1863 until 1903, from parish and mission churches under the supervision of the Vicariate Apostolic of New Mexico (1850-1867), the Vicariate Apostolic of Arizona (1868-1896) and the Diocese of Tucson (1897-present). Two earlier registers from the Spanish Colonial Period document baptisms, marriages and burials from the missions of Tubac and Calabasas-Tumacacori under the administrative supervision of the Diocese of Durango (1620-1778) and the Diocese of Sonora (1779-1829). The records of the local chapters of the Rosary Society and the Society for the Propagation of the Faith associated with the Cathedral of Saint Augustine are included in Volume 11 along with a six page reminiscence written by Petra Figueroa Stevenson, a member of the Saint Augustine congregation. The records from Yuma (Volume 12) include the communities of Ehrenberg, La Paz and Prescott. The records from Solomonville (Volume 13) represent a large number of small communities in New Mexico - Buena Vista, El Paso, Lordsburgh and Virden and Arizona -Arivaipa, Bisbee, Bonita, Bowie, Camp Grant, Carlisle, Clifton, Dos Cabezas, Duncan, Fort Apache, Fort Thomas, Geronimo, Globe, Klondike, Lost Gulch, Metcalf, Morenci, Paredis, Pearce, Pima, Safford, San Antonio of the Gila, San Carlos, San Pedro, Stein Pass, Thatcher, Willcox, and Yachina. Volume 24 consists of a holographic three page "History of the Catholic Church of Tombstone" written by Bishop Salpointe ca. 1881. Volume 25 contains several miscellaneous lists including: the names of parishes and pastors in the state of Sonora, Mexico, the names of priests found in the baptismal registers of the Cathedral of Saint Augustine in Tucson and an index to baptismal registers of Silverbell and Sasco, 1903-1913. OrganizationThis collection is organized into two series:Series I: Diocese of Durange and Diocese of Sonora,
1721-1826 Series II: Vicariate Apostolic of New Mexico, the Vicariate Apostolic of Arizona and the Diocese of Tucson, 1863-1957 RestrictionsRestrictionsThere are some restrictions on the use of this collection. Users of this collection may photocopy only those entries specific to their research. The registers may not be copied in their entirety. Permission must be obtained from the Diocese of Tucson CopyrightIt is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission to publish from the owner of the copyright (the institution, the creator of the record, the author or his/her transferees, heirs, legates, or literary executors). The user agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Arizona Board of Regents for the University of Arizona, its officers, employees, and agents from and against all claims made by any person asserting that he or she is an owner of copyright. Access TermsCorporate Name(s) Cathedral of San Augustine (Tucson,
Ariz.) -- History Catholic Church -- Arizona --
History Catholic Church -- Mexico -- Sonora
(State) -- History Catholic Church -- New Mexico --
History Catholic Church. -- Diocese of Durango
(Mexico) -- Registers Catholic Church. -- Diocese of Sonora
(Mexico) -- Registers Catholic Church. -- Diocese of Tucson
(Ariz.) -- Registers Church of Our Blessed Lady of Lourdes
(Benson, Ariz.) -- History Church of the Assumption (Florence,
Ariz.) -- History Church of the Immaculate Conception
(Yuma, Ariz.) -- History Subject(s) Church buildings -- Arizona -- Calabasas Church buildings -- Arizona -- Solomonville Church buildings -- Arizona -- Tombstone Church buildings -- Arizona -- Tubac Church buildings -- Arizona -- Tumacacori Church records and registers -- Arizona Church records and registers -- New Mexico Genre Form(s) Annals Baptismal Records Registers Administrative InformationCredit LineCatholic Church, Diocese of Tucson records(MS 296).Special Collections, University of Arizona Libraries. Container List
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